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A local agricultural official believes that more Barbadians should return to raising livestock.

Officer-in-charge of the Greenland Livestock Research Station, John Vaughan, said such a practice could boost the local sector, save valuable revenue and possibly encourage more Barbadians to find employment in that field.

He pointed out that there were many possibilities for Barbadians to make a good living out of livestock rearing, since the demand for products such as meat and milk was quite high.

"I would love everyone out there to keep sheep and goats and get back to that old tradition. Years ago, we had over 50, 000 sheep in Barbados because many of the households, particularly in the countryside, had 10, 15, 20 sheep. The children were involved before they went to school, helping with the animals. This set many persons on the path of becoming involved in agriculture," he said.

Mr. Vaughan also underlined that there were a lot of opportunities available in the local agricultural market, particularly the sale of goat’s milk.

"We are looking for people to get involved in the sale of goat’s milk. It is in great demand and I can guarantee them, they would get it sold… It is also very healthy and nutritious, that is why the demand is so high."

With regards to the sale of lamb, Mr. Vaughan added that "Black Belly Sheep was always in great demand and "every day people are calling here [Greenland Research Livestock Station] asking about it," he admitted.

Mr. Vaughan further stated that "A lot of people are getting health conscious now and the Black Belly Sheep is very lean, tasty and very low in cholesterol. Some persons are trying to get way from eating a lot of pork, and fish, at times, is scarce. So, lamb is a good alternative," he said.

andre.skeete@barbados.gov.bb

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